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The Longaberger Company

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The Longaberger Company is a maker of handcrafted maple wood baskets. It is one of the primary employers in the southeastern Ohio area near Dresden, Ohio. Started in Dresden, the company is now headquartered in Newark, Ohio. A family-owned and operated business, the Longaberger Company was started by Dave Longaberger and after his death is now owned by daughters Tami Longaberger and Rachel Longaberger.

The Longaberger corporate headquarters on State Route 16 is a local landmark and a well-known example of novelty architecture, since it takes the shape of their biggest seller, the "Medium Market Basket". Originally, Dave Longaberger wanted all of the Longaberger buildings to be shaped like baskets, but only the headquarters was completed by his death. After his death, further basket-shaped buildings were vetoed by his daughters.

History

Basket-making started with Dave's father J.W. Longaberger in 1919 when he took an apprenticeship with The Dresden Basket Factory. Eventually J.W. came to love and perfect the art of basket making. Even when The Dresden Basket Factory closed as a result of The Great Depression, he still made baskets on the weekends. He and his wife Bonnie Jean Longaberger (Gist) eventually raised enough money to purchase the closed basket factory and start a business of their own.

Longaberger's handcrafted baskets and other home and lifestyle products, including pottery, wrought iron, fabric accessories and specialty foods, are sold across the nation through nearly 60,000 independent home consultants, a method of direct marketing similar to Tupperware parties.

Longaberger's sales peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, concurrent with "country" home decorating trends. Longaberger has seen a decline in sales in recent years. In 2004, many consultants and district sales coordinators were forced to accept a reduction in their commissions. Longaberger is currently considering migrating its business from being predominantly home sales to an Internet-based model.

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